The famous (ish) comic strip gets a TV movie treatment. Eric Oldfield from The Young Doctors was logical enough casting as Airhawk.
The script was written by Ron McLean of Spyforce fame who also produced (Colin Eggleston co produced, David Stevens directed). The "plot" involves some crooks from Hong Kong (cue some stock shots) who are after Hawk's brother.
Some of this is incredibly dopey. Michael Aitkens in sunglasses hamming it up as someone called Cowboy. An assassination attempt on Hawk, his brother (David Robson) and two ladies (Louise Howitt, Eli McClure) on top of a Gold Coast high rise... via a man with a machine gun in a bi plane. Two baddies talking in European accents.
There's a weird plot where Hawk is being chased after for money owed by the tax office and he goes on a rant about how the government don't deserve it. Was this McLean having a whinge?
They don't get out to the outback until 43 minutes in when the piece picks up. We aren't told the brother is into diamonds until over an hour in. The two villains, male and female, talk in broad accents and ham it up. Presumably director David Stevens allowed that.Maybe he could have also done something about uninspiring blocking and slack handling.
Some good things: I didn't mind the twist at the end that the old lady was involved. And there's a well-shot chase at the end where a jeep is driving after a trio on horseback. The actual plane. (But it's hardly ever flown.)
But generally this is shoddy work an those associated with it should be ashamed of themselves.
A couple of old pros don't disgrace themselves: Margaret Christensen, Lois Ramsay, Myra de Groot. The Queensland Film Corporation invested in this!.
No comments:
Post a Comment